Godsend
by Fiachra Ochiern
Summary: Oneshot. "To serve what is most important, I must be strong enough to cut out my own heart." Itachicentric.


_Long ago, Kensei Takezo longed to unite Japan against the threat of the warlord Whitebeard. In order to do this, Kensei sought out the Dragon of Kiso Mountain, master of the sword. The Dragon would only teach those who truly needed the help and always for a terrible price. Accepting his cause as worthy, the Dragon agreed to teach Kensei and Kensei agreed to the price of that which he loved most._

The first casualty of the Uchiha Massacre was not Uchiha Shisui.

Shisui had been the first whose blood stained the blade of Uchiha Itachi's ANBU sword. The brief, friendly spar between two supposed friends had ended with a confused Shisui bound in front of Itachi. Only after Shisui had demanded an explanation from his fellow Uchiha did the twelve-year-old ANBU kneel beside his best friend and loosen his bonds only enough to slip his blade behind Shisui and slit the older boy's wrists in one swift slice.

Shisui protested loudly as his lifeblood drained onto the grass beneath him, staining the green training field red. With failing eyes, he watched his best friend stand over him with a bloody blade and impassive red eyes that looked dead to the world. Shisui's last thought was that his young friend had finally chosen a side in the eternal conflict between Uchiha and Konoha. It had just been the wrong side.

_After gaining all the knowledge of the sword from the Dragon, Kensei returned to his princess and asked her to marry him. She agreed and they had a beautiful wedding._

The last casualty of the Uchiha Massacre was not Uchiha Fugaku.

The leader of the Uchiha coup d'etat, despite his great eyes, could only stare at the perpetrator, at the traitor, in shock before his training returned enough to dodge the first blow. His own son, the one on whom he had pinned all his hopes, was trying to kill him. The hesitation that realization provided was enough to allow Fugaku to face his darkest dreams when next he met his son's eyes.

Seeing the black tomoe bleed into the design of a pinwheel, Fugaku could only think of the Uchiha fan, the symbol of the Uchiha mastery over fire. Fugaku recognized his mistake as he fell into the darkness of Itachi's eyes; he saw that he had placed his hopes on the wrong son. Itachi had rebelled against him while Sasuke only wanted to please him. In a world filled with blood-red skies and ink-black ground, Fugaku lamented his lack of foresight more than he did the heart of his son.

_Their happiness was interrupted when the Dragon interrupted to demand payment, demanding Kensei's love, his princess. Kensei instead cut out his own heart and offered it to the Dragon saying "my love is in here, take it." He died in the arms of his princess._

The first and last casualty of the Uchiha Massacre was Uchiha Itachi.

Who carried out Konoha's orders against his own family and then sentenced himself to death when he spared his little brother and ordered Uchiha Sasuke to appear before him when the boy would have the power to avenge his family. And when Sasuke finally battled with Itachi, the first and last casualty of the Uchiha Massacre could only smile and remember his heart, long since dead, and rejoice that his brother's heart, though filled with hate, still lived within the younger chest.

_I understand, Father, _

_To serve what is most important _

_I must be strong enough _

_To cut out my heart._

_~ Hiro Nakamura_

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A/N: The story in italics and the title is taken from the legend of Takezo Kensei. The legend appears in connection with the NBC show "Heroes," and as such is not an actual Japanese legend. However, I think it describes Itachi's character very well, and I have long wanted to write an in depth character study on Itachi. I do want to point out that I am in no way trying to promote Uchihacest with the parallels between the two stories. I just think that Itachi loved his brother (and Konoha) so much that he was willing to sacrifice his own humanity in order to protect him.

Now, if stupid Sasuke could just see that and stop hanging out with Madara, I would be happy as pie.


End file.
